Los Angeles to Seattle distance
Los Angeles and Seattle are 959 miles (1,544 km) apart in a straight line and 1,135 miles (1,827 km) apart by road: about 21 hr 30 min of driving without stops, mostly on I-5. Below you’ll find the route map, both halfway points, the bearing, the approximate flight time and where every figure comes from.
By the All Map Tools Team
- By road
- 1,135 mi (1,827 km)
- Driving time
- 21 hr 30 min
- Straight line
- 959 mi (1,544 km)
- Driving route
- Straight line
- Straight-line midpoint
- Halfway by road
Lambert azimuthal equal-area projection centered on the midpoint. Route: FOSSGIS OSRM with data © OpenStreetMap contributors, calculated on November 1, 2026; simplified line.
The figures
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Straight line | 959 mi (1,544 km) geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid |
| By road | 1,135 mi (1,827 km) fastest driving route (OSRM) |
| Driving time | 21 hr 30 min no stops, no traffic |
| Road detour | +18% 1.18 times the straight line |
| Average speed | 53 mph (85 km/h) along the route, without stops |
| Bearing | 348° (north) leaving Los Angeles toward Seattle |
| Midpoint | 40.8511° N, 120.0787° W near Madeline (California) |
| Halfway by road | In Lakehead (California) 568 mi from each city by road |
| Time difference | None both share the same time |
| Approximate flight | 2 hr 25 min estimate: 30 min + the straight line at 800 km/h |
| Elevation | Los Angeles: 284 ft (87 m) · Seattle: 173 ft (53 m) USGS 3DEP |
| Population | Los Angeles: 3,869,089 · Seattle: 784,777 Census Bureau estimate for 2025 |
Los Angeles to Seattle by road
The fastest driving route is 1,135 miles (1,827 km) long and takes about 21 hr 30 min without stops or traffic. Almost all of it is on I-5: 1,117 mi of 1,135 mi.
It goes through 3 states: California (661 mi), Oregon (308 mi), and Washington (166 mi). That’s an average of 53 mph (85 km/h). AAA recommends a break every two hours or 100 miles: with 10 stops of 20 minutes, the trip takes about 24 hr 50 min. At about 8 hours behind the wheel a day, it’s a 3-day drive. The time is OSRM’s estimate with OpenStreetMap data: no traffic and speeds somewhat below the limits, so real trips can differ.
Straight-line distance and bearing
In a straight line, the shortest distance over the Earth’s surface, Los Angeles and Seattle are 959 miles (1,544 km) apart. That’s the geodesic on the WGS84 ellipsoid, the distance “as the crow flies”.
The road is 18% longer: for every 100 miles in a straight line you drive 118. That’s a normal detour between two cities. Of the 110 US driving pairs in this series, it ranks 28th for detour (the average is 16%).
From Los Angeles, Seattle lies to the north (bearing 348°), and from Seattle, Los Angeles lies to the south. The straight line reaches Seattle on a bearing of 346°: on a sphere the bearing keeps changing along the way, which is why the shortest route looks slightly curved on a flat map.
Halfway between Los Angeles and Seattle
Halfway along the straight line, 480 miles (772 km) from each city, is the point 40.8511° N, 120.0787° W. It falls near Madeline (California), 24.9 mi away.
By road, the halfway point is 568 miles (913 km) from each city, in Lakehead (California, pop. 577). The two midpoints are 121 mi apart: if you want to meet halfway, the one on the road is the useful one.
Time zone and flight
Los Angeles and Seattle share the same time all year: both are on Pacific Time.
A direct flight would take about 2 hr 25 min. That’s an estimate: 30 minutes for takeoff, climb, descent and landing, plus the 1,544 km straight line at 800 km/h (about 497 mph), a typical airliner cruising speed. Real schedules depend on wind, routing and airports, and not every pair has a direct flight.
The two cities
Los Angeles sits at 284 ft (87 m) and Seattle at 173 ft (53 m), 111 ft (34 m) lower.
Los Angeles has 3.9 million people and Seattle 784,777 people (Census Bureau estimate for 2025).
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is it from Los Angeles to Seattle?
959 miles (1,544 km) in a straight line and 1,135 miles (1,827 km) by road on the fastest route (mostly on I-5).
How long is the drive from Los Angeles to Seattle?
About 21 hr 30 min without stops or traffic, according to OSRM with OpenStreetMap data; with 10 stops of 20 minutes, about 24 hr 50 min.
Where is the halfway point between Los Angeles and Seattle?
In a straight line, near Madeline (California). By road, 568 mi from each city, in Lakehead (California).
How long is the flight from Los Angeles to Seattle?
About 2 hr 25 min, estimated from the straight-line distance (1,544 km): 30 minutes for takeoff and landing plus the trip at 800 km/h. Real flight times vary with wind and routing.
Are Los Angeles and Seattle in the same time zone?
Yes: both are on Pacific Time all year.
Measure it yourself on the map
The same two cities, already set up in the tools: move the points, get the route by bike or on foot and download the map.
- Distance between two points Measure the distance between any two places or points on the map, in miles or kilometers.
- Straight line vs driving distance Compare the as-the-crow-flies distance with the real driving distance and see how much the road adds.
- Halfway point Find the exact halfway point between two places and see it on the map, ready to share.
Similar pairs
The ones in this series whose cities are closest to these two, in case another one suits you better.
- Los Angeles to Portland 825 mi straight line · 963 mi by road · 18 hr 10 min Portland, 145 mi from Seattle
- San Francisco to Seattle 679 mi straight line · 807 mi by road · 15 hr 35 min San Francisco, 347 mi from Los Angeles
- San Francisco to Portland 535 mi straight line · 635 mi by road · 12 hr 15 min San Francisco, 347 mi from Los Angeles · Portland, 145 mi from Seattle
- Los Angeles to Sacramento 361 mi straight line · 384 mi by road · 7 hr 5 min Sacramento, 624 mi from Seattle
More distances from Los Angeles
All distances- Los Angeles to Denver 831 mi straight line · 1,017 mi by road · 17 hr 50 min
- Los Angeles to Salt Lake City 579 mi straight line · 688 mi by road · 12 hr
- Los Angeles to Dallas 1,240 mi straight line · 1,438 mi by road · 24 hr 45 min
- Los Angeles to Miami 2,339 mi straight line · 2,733 mi by road · 47 hr 55 min
- Los Angeles to Honolulu 2,563 mi straight line · 5 hr 40 min flight
- Los Angeles to Mexico City 1,547 mi straight line · 1,908 mi by road · 35 hr 45 min
More distances from Seattle
Sources
- Driving route: FOSSGIS OSRM, car profile (calculated on November 1, 2026) · FOSSGIS e.V.
- Roads, streets and places · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Straight line, bearings and midpoint (geodesics on the WGS84 ellipsoid) · GeographicLib (C. F. F. Karney)
- US city centers (GNIS) and their elevation (3DEP) · USGS (public domain)
- Population estimates, Vintage 2025 · US Census Bureau (public domain)
- Places near the midpoints: All Map Tools gazetteer (GeoNames, INE, IGN and Census) · All Map Tools
- Time zones (timezone-boundary-builder outlines and the IANA database) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Map: provinces (IGN), states (US Census Bureau) and countries (Natural Earth) · IGN, Census and Natural Earth
- Methodology